For those who like rock climbing, I would suggest doing Gambit (5.8 - 3 to 4 pitches) to reach the summit. Enter through eldo and follow the eldo trail. Ultra classic and well protected. P1: 5.4; P2: 5.7; P3: 5.8; P4: 5.6. The last pitch (5.6 arete) is my favorite and has fantastic exposure. 3 double rap's to get off.

I was living in Eldorado Springs at the time. On the north edge of town is the Old Mesa Trail trailhead - I followed that to the gully just north of the huge block east of and below Shirttail Peak. The chances of meeting anyone else in this gully are very, very slim. I just fought through the obstacles in the gully to the top of the ridge and turned left (south) and shazam! the summit was mine. Someone in an EarthFirst! tshirt popped over the lip, he had just climbed Gambit and was sweating about a massive loose rock he had just passed. I've climbed it several times since then. Sometimes flying ants swarm the summit, which means it's time to see if one can pick one's way along the ridge crest to South Boulder Peak, or just pick wild raspberries in the boulderfields in the gully and try and spot a black bear sow and her cubs. Possibly less ursine traffic on the western approach.

Hiked the North Ridge Route from Eldorado Canyon Trailhead. This was my second attempt to get the summit. I had tried this same route one week earlier but stopped after getting to the top of the summit 0.1 miles northwest of Shirttail Peak. This time I discovered a class 4 downclimb from that summit and made it to the summit of Shirttail.